Alliance with National Conference forged under ‘national compulsion’, says Congress’ J&K chief

Srinagar, Aug 31 (PTI) The Congress was ready to contest on its own all 90 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections and the alliance with the National Conference was forged under a “national compulsion”, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Tariq Hameed Karra said on Saturday.

The alliance was forged for the stability and betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

The National Conference and the Congress Monday have finalised a seat-share formula, with the parties set to contest 51 and 32 seats, respectively.

“The Congress will become stronger in the future. We had some alliance compulsions, the coalition was forged under a national mood, national compulsion. If those parameters of the alliance were not followed, then the Congress was ready to contest all 90 seats,” Karra said.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters during which former Kokernag MLA Abdul Rahim Rather and activist Irfan Hafeez Lone joined the party.

Karra said the coalition was forged by adhering to the alliance principles.

“The alliance has been forged for stability, it has been forged by adhering to the alliance principles, and for the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

Asked for his comment about the situation in the BJP in Jammu, with many of its leaders resigning from the party following the distribution of tickets, the Congress’ Jammu and Kashmir chief said there was a conflict of ideology in the BJP.

“That is their issue. Their conflict within is basically of ideology also. There are so many BJPs in one BJP. It is their ideological conflict. Within the BJP, they don’t know themselves which ideology to follow, which leader to follow,” Karra said.

Elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1 and the results declared on October 4.